Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A21—BAKING; EDIBLE DOUGHS
  • A21D—TREATMENT, e.g. PRESERVATION, OF FLOUR OR DOUGH, e.g. BY ADDITION OF MATERIALS; BAKING; BAKERY PRODUCTS; PRESERVATION THEREOF
  • A21D8/00—Methods for preparing or baking dough
  • A21D8/02—Methods for preparing dough; Treating dough prior to baking
  • A21D8/04—Methods for preparing dough; Treating dough prior to baking treating dough with microorganisms or enzymes
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A21—BAKING; EDIBLE DOUGHS
  • A21D—TREATMENT, e.g. PRESERVATION, OF FLOUR OR DOUGH, e.g. BY ADDITION OF MATERIALS; BAKING; BAKERY PRODUCTS; PRESERVATION THEREOF
  • A21D2/00—Treatment of flour or dough by adding materials thereto before or during baking
  • A21D2/08—Treatment of flour or dough by adding materials thereto before or during baking by adding organic substances
  • A21D2/36—Vegetable material
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23G—COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
  • A23G9/00—Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor
  • A23G9/32—Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor characterised by the composition containing organic or inorganic compounds
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23G—COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
  • A23G9/00—Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor
  • A23G9/32—Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor characterised by the composition containing organic or inorganic compounds
  • A23G9/36—Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor characterised by the composition containing organic or inorganic compounds containing microorganisms or enzymes; containing paramedical or dietetical agents, e.g. vitamins
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L15/00—Egg products; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L15/30—Addition of substances other than those covered by A23L15/20 – A23L15/25
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L17/00—Food-from-the-sea products; Fish products; Fish meal; Fish-egg substitutes; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L17/60—Edible seaweed
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L23/00—Soups; Sauces; Preparation or treatment thereof
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L3/00—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs
  • A23L3/40—Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs by drying or kilning; Subsequent reconstitution
  • A23L3/46—Spray-drying
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23P—SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
  • A23P10/00—Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the products
  • A23P10/40—Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the products free-flowing powder or instant powder, i.e. powder which is reconstituted rapidly when liquid is added

Definitions

• the present invention relates to microalgal flour granules, and optionally, lipid-rich microalgal flour.
• algal species which can be used in food, most being “macroalgae” such as kelp, sea lettuce ( Ulva lactuca ) and red algae for food, of the Porphyra (cultivated in Japan) or dulse (red alga Palmaria palmata ) type.
• microalgae i.e. photosynthetic or nonphotosynthetic single-cell microscopic algae of marine or nonmarine origin, cultivated for their applications in biofuel or food.
• spirulina Arthrospira platensis
• open lagoons by phototrophy
• small amounts into confectionery or drinks generally less than 0.5% w/w
• microalgae including certain species of Chlorella
• Other lipid-rich microalgae are also popular in Asian countries as food supplements (mention is made of microalgae of the Crypthecodinium or Schizochytrium genus).
• the production and use of microalgal flour is also disclosed in WO 2010/120923, and WO 2010/045368.
• the oil fraction of the microalgal flour which can be composed essentially of monounsaturated oils, may provide nutritional and health advantages compared with the saturated, hydrogenated and polyunsaturated oils often found in conventional food products.
• microalgal flour from microalgal biomass
• a high oil content e.g., 10, 25, 50 or even 75% or more by dry cell weight
• an undesirably sticky dry powder may be obtained. This may require the addition of flow agents (including silica-derived products).
• the present invention relates to a microalgal flour granules, characterized in that they have at least of the following characteristics:
• the granules may have an aerated bulk density of 0.30 to 0.50 g/ml.
• the granules may have a specific surface area according to the BET method of 0.10 to 0.70 m 2 /g.
• the granules may have a specific surface area according to the BET method of 0.50 to 0.70 m 2 /g, preferably of 0.55 m 2 /g.
• the granules may have have a specific surface area according to the BET method of 0.15 to 0.25 m 2 /g, preferably of 0.20 m 2 /g.
• the dispersibility of the granules of the invention in water is reflected by:
• the percentage of lipid in the granules is at least 25% by dry weight.
• the percentage of intact cells in the granules is 5% to 95%, preferably 25% to 75%.
• the present also relates to a process for preparing the granules according to the present invention, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:
• the process is characterized in that
• the process is characterized in that
• the present invention further relates to the use of the granules of the present invention or obtained according to the process of the present invention, in a food product.
• the granules can be as disclosed in the first embodiment with a bimodal particle size distribution.
• the granules can be alternatively as disclosed in the second embodiment with a trimodal particle size distribution.
• the present invention relates to a food product containing the granules of the present invention, or obtained according to the process of the present invention.
• the product is selected from the group consisting of soup, sauce, condiment, ice-cream, dehydrated eggs, dough, bread, cake, cookie, or dry baked-good mix.
• microalgal flour means a substance comprised of a plurality of particles of microalgal biomass.
• the microalgal biomass is derived from algal cells, which may be either whole, disrupted, or a combination of whole and disrupted cells.
• the microalgal cells may be grown in the dark (e.g., Chlorella grown in the dark on a fixed carbon source).
• microalgal flour is not intended to refer to a mixture prepared with basic components such as proteins, lipids and polysaccharides. It refers to a microalgal biomass with its complex composition.
• the microalgal flour granules contains at least 80% in weight, more preferably at least 90, 95 or 99% in weigh of microalgal biomass.
• oversize means the particles in a particle distribution that are greater in size than a given threshold, either numerically or physically, as in the mass fraction or other measure of particles retained by a filter of a given porosity.
• Embodiments of the present invention relate to microalgal biomass suitable for human consumption which is rich in nutrients, such as lipids or proteins.
• the microalgae may be rich in lipids.
• the microalgal biomass may comprise at least 10% by dry weight of lipid, preferably at least 25 to 35% or more by dry weight of lipid.
• lipid-rich is intented to refer to at least 10% by dry weight of lipid, preferably at least 25 to 35% or more by dry weight of lipid.
• the biomass contains at least 25%, at least 50%, or at least 75% by dry cell weight of lipid.
• the micro algae are of the Chlorella genus.
• the Chlorella genus comprises Chlorella protothecoides, Chlorella kessleri, Chlorella minutissima, Chlorella sp., Chlorella sorokiniama, Chlorella luteoviridis, Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella reisiglii, Chlorella ellipsoidea, Chlorella saccarophila, Parachlorella kessleri, Parachlorella beijerinkii, Prototheca stagnora and Prototheca moriformis.
• Chlorella protothecoides is one such species of microalgae that is suitable and preferred for use in preparing a microalgal flour.
• Embodiments of the present invention relate to microalgal flour granules which have specific particle size distribution, flow capability and wettability properties.
• Embodiments of the present invention also relate to microalgal flour granules which have particular aerated bulk density and specific surface area parameters, and also an excellent ability to disperse in water.
• Embodiments of the present invention relate to the process for preparing these microalgal flour granules.
• the microalgal cell wall or cell debris can optionally encapsulate the oil, at least until the food product containing it is cooked, thereby increasing the shelf life of the oil.
• microalgal flour may also provide other benefits, such as micronutrients, dietary fibres (soluble and insoluble carbohydrates), phospholipids, glycoproteins, phytosterols, tocopherols, tocotrienols, and selenium.
• the microalgae may be modified to have reduced amounts of pigments.
• Chlorella protothecoides may be modified so as to be reduced in or devoid of pigments.
• the modification may be accomplished by Ultraviolet (UV) and/or chemical mutagenesis.
• Chlorella protothecoides was exposed to a cycle of chemical mutagenesis with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-Nitrosoguanidine (NTG) and the colonies were screened for the colour mutants. The colonies exhibiting no colour were then subjected to a cycle of UV irradiation.
• NTG N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-Nitrosoguanidine
• Chlorella protothecoides 33-55 A pigment-reduced strain of Chlorella protothecoides was isolated and corresponds to Chlorella protothecoides 33-55, deposited on 13 Oct. 2009 with the American Type Culture Collection (10801 University Boulevard, Manassas, Va. 20110-2209) in accordance with the Treaty of Budapest.
• a strain of Chlorella protothecoides with a reduced pigmentation was isolated and corresponds to Chlorella protothecoides 25-32, deposited on 13 Oct. 2009 at the American Type Culture Collection.
• the microalgae are cultivated in a medium containing a fixed carbon source and a nitrogen source in the absence of light (heterotrophic conditions).
• the solid and liquid growth media are generally available in the literature, and the recommendations for preparing the particular media which are suitable for a large variety of microorganism strains can be found, for example, online at http://www.utex.org/, a site maintained by the University of Texas at Austin for its culture collection of algae (UTEX).
• the production of biomass may be carried out in bioreactors.
• bioreactors The specific examples of bioreactors, the culture conditions, and the heterotrophic growth and the propagation method can be combined in any appropriate manner in order to improve the efficiency of the microbial growth and lipids and/or proteins production.
• the culturing of the microalgae is performed in the dark in the presence of a fixed carbon source (e.g., sugar and/or glycerol).
• a fixed carbon source e.g., sugar and/or glycerol
• the biomass obtained at the end of fermentation is harvested from the fermentation medium.
• the biomass comprises intact cells mostly in suspension in an aqueous culture medium.
• a step of solid-liquid separation by filtration or by centrifugation, may then be carried out.
• the microalgal biomass can be processed in order to produce vacuum-packed cakes, algal flakes, algal homogenates, algal powder, algal flour, or algal oils.
• the microalgal biomass may also be dried in order to facilitate the subsequent processing or for use of the biomass in its various applications, in particular food applications.
• the final food products have various textures and flavours depending on whether the algal biomass is dried, and if it is, according to the drying method used (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,607,900, U.S. Pat. No. 6,372,460, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,255,505).
• a liquid suspension is then sprayed in the form of a dispersion of fine droplets in a heated air stream.
• the material entrained is rapidly dried and forms a dry powder.
• This microalgal flour may be prepared from concentrated microalgal biomass which has been mechanically lysed and homogenised, the homogenate then being spray-dried or flash-dried.
• the cells may be lysed.
• the cell wall and the intracellular components may be milled or otherwise reduced, e.g., using a homogenizer, to particles (non-agglomerated lysed cells).
• the resulting particles may have an average size of less than 500 ⁇ m, 100 ⁇ m, or even 10 ⁇ m or less.
• the lysed cells thus obtained are dried.
• a pressure disrupter can be used to pump a suspension containing the cells through a restricted orifice in order to lyse the cells.
• a high pressure up to 1500 bar
• an instantaneous expansion through a nozzle.
• the disruption of the cells may occur via three different mechanisms: encroachment on the valve, high shear of the liquid in the orifice, and sudden drop in pressure on outlet, causing the cell to explode.
• a NIRO homogeniser (GEA NIRO SOAVI) (or any other high-pressure homogeniser) can be used to disrupt the cells.
• This high-pressure treatment (e.g., up to approximately 1500 bar) of the algal biomass may lyse more than 90% of the cells and may reduce the particle size (e.g., to less than about 5 microns).
• the pressure is from about 900 bar to 1,200 bar.
• the pressure is about 1,100 bar.
• the algal biomass is subjected to high-pressure treatment two times or more.
• double homogenization is used to increase the cell lysis to above 50%, above 75% or above 90%. Lysis of approximately 95% has been observed using this technique.
• Lysis of the cells is optional, but preferred when a high-lipid flour (e.g. >10% lipid by dry weight) is to be produced.
• a high-protein flour e.g., less than 10% lipid by dry weight
• the high-protein flour may be in an unlysed (intact cell) form.
• partial lysis e.g., 25% to 75% of cells lysed is desired.
• a bead mill is used.
• the cells are agitated in suspension with small abrasive particles.
• the disruption of the cells is caused by shear forces, the milling between the beads, and the collisions with beads. These beads disrupt the cells so as to release the cellular content therefrom.
• a description of a suitable bead mill is given, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,913.
• a suspension of particles, optionally of smaller size than the cells of origin, in the form of an “oil-in-water” emulsion may be obtained.
• This emulsion may then be spray-dried, leaving a dry powder containing the cell debris and oil. After drying, the water content or the moisture content of the powder may be less than 10%, preferably less than 5%, more preferably less than 3%.
• Embodiments of the present invention solve the aforementioned problems associated with prior art microalgal flour, by providing granules which have particular properties, such as favourable flavour, particle size distribution, flow, wettability, aerated bulk density, specific surface area, and dispersibility behaviour in water as measured by emulsion droplet size and zeta potential.
• microalgal flour granules may have one, two or three of the properties as detailed in the present application in regard to the particle size distribution, flow grades, and the degree of wettability. More particularly, the microalgal flour granules may present the properties regarding the particle size distribution and flow grades; or the particle size distribution and the degree of wettability; or flow grades and the degree of wettability.
• microalgal flour granules according to the invention may be characterized by their particle size distribution. This measurement may be carried out on a COULTER® LS laser particle size analyser, equipped with its small volume dispersion module or SVM (125 ml), according to the specifications provided my the manufacturer (e.g., in the “ Small Volume Module Operating instructions ”).
• microalgal flour granules in accordance with this embodiment of the invention then may have a multimodal particle size distribution, with particles characterized by a diameter of 2 to 400 ⁇ m.
• This “multimodal” distribution is understood to mean a population of granules divided up into multiple subpopulations of different granule size.
• microalgal flour granules are characterized by two families of particle size distributions:
• the particle size distribution of the microalgal flour (dried conventionally by single-effect spray-drying such as in a box drier or tower drier) is believed to be of fine particle size of 2 to 100 ⁇ m, and to be monomodal, i.e. characterized by a single population of particle; e.g., centred on 40 ⁇ m.
• the microalgal flour particles are agglomerated during processing.
• the microalgal flour granules according to the invention also have quite satisfactory flow capability, according to a test A.
• the resulting flow properties provide various advantages in the production of food from the microalgal flour. For example, more accurate measurements of flour quantities may be made during food product manufacturing, and dispensing of flour aliquots may be more readily automated.
• the test A consists of measuring the degree of cohesion of the microalgal flour granules according to the invention.
• the flour granules which have a size of less than 800 ⁇ m are then recovered and introduced into a closed container, and undergo mixing by epicycloidal movement, e.g., using a TURBULA type T2C laboratory mixer.
• the microalgal flour granules in accordance with the invention will, according to their own characteristics, express their propensities to agglomerate or to push away one another.
• the granules thus mixed are then deposited on a column of 3 sieves (2000 ⁇ m; 1400 ⁇ m; 800 ⁇ m) for a further sieving.
• microalgal flour granules according to an embodiment of the invention exhibit flow grades:
• microalgal flour granules according to the invention classified into two families, according to their particle size distribution, exhibit two distinct behaviours in terms of flow:
• microalgal flour granules according to the invention classified into two families, according to their particle size distribution, exhibit two distinct behaviours in terms of flow:
• microalgal flour powders prepared by conventional drying techniques exhibit a sticky aspect, of low fluidity, which is reflected by a behaviour according to the test A:
• control of flour dried by single-effect spray-drying presents the following behaviour according to test A: 71% by weight of oversize on 2000 ⁇ m, 18% by weight of oversize on 1400 ⁇ m, and 8% by weight of oversize on 800 ⁇ m.
• microalgal flour powder (more than 50% of the powder) does not manage to cross the 2000 ⁇ m threshold, although initially sieved on 800 ⁇ m.
• microalgal flour compositions according to embodiments of the present invention are much easier to process because they are less sticky.
• the low level of stickiness is evident from several measures including small granule size, high wettability, and improved flowability.
• Microalgal flour granules according to embodiments of the invention exhibit only a small oversize ( ⁇ 50%) on 2000 ⁇ m for the family of granules of fine particle size, and very low or virtually no (e.g., ⁇ 5%) oversize for the family of granules of large particle size. It is believed that the microalgal flour particles produced according to methods disclosed herein are less cohesive than granules prepared by prior methods. Nonetheless, within the flour of certain embodiments of the present invention, particles of smaller size are believed to be more cohesive than particles of larger size. Thus, there is a greater oversize for the fine particles.
• microalgal flour granules according to the invention are characterized by notable properties of wettability, according to a test B.
• Wettability is a technological property that is very often used to characterize a powder resuspended in water, for example in the dairy industries.
• Wettability may be measured by the ability of a powder to become immersed after having been deposited at the surface of water (Haugaard Sorensen et al., ⁇ Méthodes d'analyse des wall laitiers subhydratés>>, Niro A/S (ed.), Copenhagen, Denmark, 1978), reflecting the capacity of the powder to absorb water at its surface (Cayot et Lorient, ⁇ Structures et technofonctions des protéines du lait>>. Paris: Airlaitberichts: Tec et Doc, Lavoisier, 1998).
• the measurement of this index conventionally consists of measuring the time necessary for a certain amount of powder to penetrate into the water through its free surface at rest. According to Haugaard Sorensen et al. (1978), a powder is said to be “wettable” if the time to penetrate is less than 20 seconds.
• the factors that influence wettability are the presence of large primary particles, the presence of the fines, the density of the powder, the porosity and the capillarity of the powder particles and also the presence of air, the presence of fats at the surface of the powder particles and the reconstitution conditions.
• Test B more particularly reports on the behaviour of the microalgal flour powder brought into contact with water, by measuring, after a certain contact time, the height of the powder which decants when placed at the surface of the water.
• the protocol for the Test B is the following:
• a low-wettability powder will remain at the surface of the liquid, whereas for a powder of better wettability, more material will settle at the bottom of the beaker.
• microalgal flour granules according to the invention then have a degree of wettability, expressed according to this test B, by the height of the product settled in a beaker, at a value of 0.2 to 4.0 cm, preferably between 1.0 and 3.0 cm.
• the flour of microalgae dried conventionally by single-effect spray-drying stays at the surface of the water to a greater extent than the flour described above, and does not become sufficiently hydrated to be able to decant to the bottom of the beaker.
• the aerated bulk density is determined using a conventional method of measuring aerated bulk density, i.e. by measuring the mass of an empty container (g) of known volume, and by measuring the mass of the same container filled with the product to be tested.
• the 100 ml container, the scoop used for filing and the scraper used are supplied with the apparatus sold by the company HOSOKAWA under the trademark POWDER TESTER type PTE.
• the product is screened through a sieve with apertures of 2000 ⁇ m (sold by SAULAS). The density is measured on the product that is not retained on that screen.
• microalgal flour granules according to embodiments of the invention have an aerated bulk density of 0.30 to 0.50 g/ml.
• microalgal flour granules in accordance with embodiments of the invention have a higher density than the flour of conventionally dried microalgae. It is believed that the density of a product will be lower if it is prepared by conventional spray-drying, e.g., less than 0.30 g/ml.
• Microalgal flour granules in accordance with embodiments of the invention can also be characterized by their specific surface area.
• the specific surface area is determined over the whole of the particle size distribution of the microalgal flour granules, e.g., by means of a Quantachrome specific surface area analyser based on a test for absorption of nitrogen onto the surface of the product subjected to the analysis, carried out on a SA3100 apparatus from Beckmann Coulter, according to the technique described in the article BET Surface Area by Nitrogen Absorption by S. BRUNAUER et al. (Journal of American Chemical Society, 60, 309, 1938).
• Microalgal flour granules in accordance with an embodiment of the invention were found to have a specific surface area of 0.10 to 0.70 m 2 /g, preferably of 0.10 to 0.60 m 2 /g, after degassing for 30 minutes at 30° C. under vacuum. More particularly, the family of microalgal flour granules of fine particle size had a specific surface area according to the BET method of 0.50 to 0.70 m 2 /g, preferably of 0.50 to 0.60 m 2 /g, more preferably of about 0.55 m 2 /g.
• the second family of microalgal flour granules of large particle size it was found to have a specific surface area according to the BET method of 0.15 to 0.25 m 2 /g, preferably of about 0.20 m 2 /g.
• the flour of microalgae dried by conventional spray-drying was found to have a specific surface area according to BET of 0.65 m 2 /g.
• microalgal flour granules in accordance with the invention are characterized by their dispersibility in water.
• Test C 0.50 g of microalgal flour granules are dispersed in 500 ml of demineralised (deionized) water, and then the solution is homogenised at 300 bars in a PANDA homogeniser, sold by the company NIRO SOAVI.
• the measurement of the droplet size may be carried out on a COULTER® LS laser particle size analyser and expressed in volume.
• the measurements reveal that the microalgal flour granules thus dispersed form an emulsion or suspension of which the particle size distribution has two populations of droplets or particles centered on 0.4 and 4 ⁇ m.
• the emulsions or suspensions obtained under the same conditions with conventional microalgal flours are instead characterized by two populations centred on 0.08 ⁇ m and 0.4 ⁇ m.
• the emulsion or suspension formed has a first population of droplets or particles centered on a value of 0.1 to 1 ⁇ m and a second population of droplets or particles centered on a value of 1 to 10 ⁇ m.
• microalgal flour granules in accordance with the invention dispersed in water, therefore have a tendency to form emulsions or suspensions that are less fine than those conventionally obtained with conventionally dried microalgal powders.
• ZP zeta potential
• the measurement principle is based on the electrophoretic mobility of the electrolytes subjected to an alternating electric field.
• the emulsion is considered to be more stable.
• the ZP of the microalgal flour is less than ⁇ 40 mV, and preferably less than ⁇ 45 mV. In a further embodiment, the ZP is about ⁇ 55 mV.
• the measurements carried out on the microalgal flour granules according to the invention show that they are stable for a pH>5 and a ZP of ⁇ 55 mV. Their pI is 2.4.
• the conventional microalgal flours differ from the granules of the invention by virtue of their stability range (which begins at a pH of 4.5) with a ZP of ⁇ 40 mV.
• Their pI is 2.5.
• microalgal flour granules in accordance with one or more of the above-described embodiments of the invention are capable of being obtained by a particular spray-drying process, which uses high-pressure spray nozzles in a concurrent-flow tower which directs the articles towards a moving belt at the bottom of the tower.
• the material is then transported as a porous layer through post-drying and cooling zones, which give it a crunchy structure, like that of a cake, which breaks at the end of the belt.
• the material is then processed to a desired average particle size.
• a FILTERMATTM spray-drier sold by the company GEA NIRO or a TETRA MAGNA PROLAC DRYERTM drying system sold by the company TETRA PAK can, for example, be used.
• the granulation of the microalgal flour by implementing, for example, this FiltermatTM process makes it possible not only to prepare, with a high yield, a product in accordance with the invention in terms of the particle size distribution and of its flowability, but also to confer on it unexpected properties of wettability and dispersibility in water, without necessarily needing granulation binders or anti-caking agents (although these may be optionally included).
• the process for preparing the microalgal flour granules in accordance with the invention therefore comprises the following steps:
• the first step of the process of the invention consists in preparing a suspension of microalgal flour, preferably lipid-rich microalgal flour, in water at a dry matter content of 15 to 40% by weight.
• the microalgal flour is essentially made of microalgal biomass.
• the biomass can be at a concentration 130 to 250 g/l, with a lipid content of approximately 50% of dry weight, a fibre content of 10 to 50% of dry weight, a protein content of 2 to 15% of dry weight, and a sugar content of less than 10% of dry weight.
• biomass extracted from the fermentation medium is subsequently:
• the emulsion may then be homogenised. This may be accomplished with a two-stage device, for example a GAULIN homogeniser sold by the company APV, with a pressure of 100 to 250 bar at the first stage, and 10 to 60 bar at the second stage.
• a GAULIN homogeniser sold by the company APV
• the homogenized flour suspension is then sprayed in a vertical spray-drier equipped with a moving belt at its base, and with a high-pressure nozzle in its upper part.
• the following parameters may be regulated in any range that gives the desired particle properties:
• the pressure applied and spray angle are believed to be critical parameters in determining the texture of the cake on the belt and then the resulting particle size distribution. Therefore, the pressure is selected so as to select the particle size distribution of the droplets sprayed.
• the belt moves the algal material into a drying zone and then a cooling zone.
• the inlet temperatures of the drying zone on the moving belt to 40° to 80° C., preferably at 60° to 80° C., and the outlet temperature of 40° to 80° C., preferably 60° to 70° C., and regulating the inlet temperatures of the cooling zone at a temperature of 10° to 40° C., preferably at 10° to 20° C., and the outlet temperature of 20° to 80° C., preferably 20° to 60° C.
• microalgal flour granules according to the conditions of the preceding step of the process in accordance with the invention fall onto the moving belt with a residual moisture content of 2 to 4%.
• Use of the above mentioned temperature ranges may bring the degree of moisture of the microalgal flour granules to a desired value of less than 4%, and more preferably less than 2%.
• an antioxidant e.g., BHA, BHT, or others known in the art
• BHA BHA, BHT, or others known in the art
• the final step of the process according to the invention consists, finally, in collecting the microalgal flour granules thus obtained.
• the present invention relates to the microalgal four granules as defined in the present invention or as obtained by the process disclosed in the present invention.
• a preferred microalgal flour granules according to the invention contain at least 10% by dry weight of lipid, preferably at least 25 to 35% or more by dry weight of lipid. In particular, it may contain at least 25%, at least 50%, or at least 75% of lipid by dry weight.
• the granules may contain mainly intact cells, a mixture of intact cells and disrupted cells, or mainly disrupted cells.
• the percentage of intact cells in the granules of the invention is 25% to 75%.
• the percentage of cell lysis can be at least 50%, preferably at least 75% or 90%, more preferably at least or approximately 95%.
• Flour granules produced according to the embodiments described herein may be incorporated into a food product such as a soup, sauce, condiment, ice-cream, dehydrated eggs, dough, bread, cake, cookie, or dry baked-good mix. Therefore, the present invention relates to the use of the microalgal flour granules according to the invention in a food product, to a method for preparing a food product comprising the addition of the microalgal flour granules according to the invention to other components of the food product, and to a food product containing the microalgal flour granules according to the invention.
• the product is selected from the group consisting of soup, sauce, condiment, ice-cream, dehydrated eggs, dough, bread, cake, cookie, or dry baked-good mix.
• a low-pigment mutant strain of Chlorella protothecoides obtained through chemical and UV mutagenesis, reference UTEX 250 was cultured and the resulting algal biomass was at a cell concentration of 150 g/l.
• Methods for producing and culturing low pigmentation Chlorella protothecoides are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2010-0297292, published Nov. 25, 2010.
• the washed biomass was milled using a bead mill with a lysis rate of 95%.
• the lipid content was about 50% by weight.
• the biomass thus generated was pasteurised and homogenised under pressure in a GAUVIN two-stage homogeniser (250 bar at the first stage/50 bar at the second) after adjustment of the pH to 7 with potassium hydroxide.
• the product obtained with the single-effect spray-drying had a fine particle size distribution, centered on 40 ⁇ m.
• a spray-drying process in accordance with embodiments of the invention, it consisted of spraying the homogenised suspension at high pressure in a FILTERMAT device sold by the company GEA/NIRO, equipped with a DELAVAN high-pressure injection nozzle, under the following conditions:
• the powder then arrived on the belt with a residual moisture content of 2 to 4%.
• the microalgal flour granules had a residual moisture content of from 1 to 3%, about 2%.
• Granulation on a FILTERMAT device made it possible to obtain populations of granules that are polydisperse, which will condition their notable properties, such as:
• microalgal flour dried by single-effect spray-drying did not manage to flow through the 2000 ⁇ m filter (although initially sieved on 800 ⁇ m), conveying the “tacky” nature of the particles making up said flour, whereas approximately 60% of microalgal flour granules in accordance with the invention of fine particle size, or even virtually all microalgal flour granules in accordance with the invention of large particle size, managed to do so.
• microalgal flour characterized by “cohesive” particles
• the microalgal flour granules prepared by the present invention managed to do so without difficulty, to a degree that depended on their particle size distribution.
• the granules of large particle size in fact settle more readily than the granules of fine particle size.
• microalgal flour granules prepared by embodiments of the present invention had a higher aerated bulk density than that of the microalgal flour dried by more conventional means.
• microalgal flour granules have, compared with the microalgal flour, a smaller specific surface area.

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• 2012
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